Another Brick in the Wall
by ElectricSilence
Summary: Thomas is the new student at WICKED high school. After falling for a certain dark haired boy and struggling through odd, and slightly more than complicated friendships, he realizes that the people in this school are anything but simple. Thomas x Minho, Newt x Alby, Ben x Gally. Warnings inside
1. Chapter 1

_**Warnings**: Language, angst, mature themes, mentions of past self-harm, abnormality and some seriously funky shit :I But hey, what do you think high school is?! Includes some things about Newt that were said in The Death Cure. Sort of a spoiler, sort of not because I kept the idea, just in a different setting. It will make more sense if you've read it.  
_

_**Pairings:** ____Thomas x Minho, _Newt x Alby (mpphh baby I love those two), Gally x Ben  


_**Disclaimer:** This extremely gay spin-off is mine, nothing else :I If I owned The Maze Runner it would have ended much differently *coughalbycoughnewtcoughchuck*_

_for future reference, frypan's real (nick)name is Siggy, as said by Dashner._

_Sorry for my terrible grammar ;-;_

_This story would have been forgotten about if it weren't for fictiongirl99, my biggest thanks :)_

* * *

Thomas stared up at the tall walls of the building in front of him. _Wicked High School _was printed in large letters above the entrance and they seemed to stare down at him menacingly. _Wicked High School, _he thought to himself, _what kind of a name is that?! _As he was standing there gawking, the doors swung open and a man walked out. He was a bit too tall and a bit too skinny and strode forward in an awkward gait that made Thomas surprised he didn't trip over his own two oddly proportioned feet. As he got closer, Thomas tried not to laugh out loud. He looked like a rat. But the second he spoke, the oncoming giggles vanished from his throat.

"Are you the new student.." He paused for a moment, ruffling through a few papers gripped in his hand, "...Thomas?" His voice wasn't exactly deep, but it possessed so much menace and authority that Thomas fought the urge to crap his pants and run.

"Uh, yeah." He stuttered, still trying to adjust to the man's awkward face.

"Okay, Alby will be giving you the tour. You'll find him in the boy's dormitory, main building. I assume you can get that far yourself?" Thomas gulped, nodding. If there was any chance to get away from this man, he'd take it. "Good." The man stated bluntly before waltzing back into the building, door shutting with a dull _thud_ behind him.

"What a friendly man. Didn't even introduce himself." Thomas muttered to himself before setting off for the boys dorms. He made his way to the front doors, pushing them open to find himself in a large, mostly open room. Couches were scattered here and there, one was tipped over and a few boys sat on (and under) it. A few more kids were littered across the room, more sitting on the floor than anywhere else. They seemed fairly at ease and most didn't hear him enter above the sound of their chatter. One boy did get up though, soon followed by another. The one in front had dark skin, short black hair, and scowl on his lips. He was wearing a tight red T-shirt that showed off his muscular build rather well and a pair of baggy blue jeans with plain sneakers that squeaked a bit when he walked. The other was quite the opposite; he was a bit taller and much thinner, with long blonde hair down to his shoulders and kind blue eyes shining with a hint of mischief that was confirmed by his smirk. He wore a baggy black hoodie, grey skinny jeans that hung loosely on his stick-like legs, and red high tops. He had a brace on his knee and ankle. His smirk evened out into a smile and he stepped forward with a distinct limp.

"Hey, the name's Newt. This here is Alby." He said, gesturing to the boy behind him. He had a thick European accent that Thomas couldn't quite place.

"I thought I was supposed to be giving the tour." Alby said, scowl turning into a pout. Newt just elbowed him in the gut with a chuckle.

"Well than give the bloody tour shuck-face!" Alby nodded.

"I'm Alby, this is Newt." Newt face palmed.

"I already said that, slinthead."

"Well you can't control what I say, shank!"

By this time, Thomas was both confused and slightly concerned at the unfolding events. Newt and Alby were both weird and he couldn't understand half the words coming out of their mouths._ Shank? Shuck? What does it even mean? _He thought, their bickering in the background giving him a headache. He sighed.

"Can you guys just get on with the tour!?" They looked up, surprised. Newt stepped back, coughing awkwardly into his hand in a pathetic attempt to cover his now red face. Alby spoke up, clearing his throat.

"Yeah, erm...sorry. Well, this is the boys dormitory."

"Bloody brilliant you are." Newt mumbled under his breath.

"I said shut it! Well, I'll show you around campus, then to your room. We call this place the Glade." He said with a gesture at the space around. Thomas nodded. Alby looked to Newt. "You coming?" Newt grinned.

"Yeah man, you suck at this kinda thing. I'll follow to make sure you don't screw up to bad."

"Oh yeah?" Alby replied, stopping to face him again. Thomas sighed.

"Got some pent-up sexual tensions there, guys?" A boy came up behind Newt and Alby, slapping Newt on the back and Alby on the head. He was close to the same height as Alby and wore similar clothing, though he was more muscular and his voice was deeper. Newt turned around abruptly.

"Minho, what the FU-"

"SHUCK" Alby cut in quickly before he could finish.

"Well _excuse me, **Albert**_. Minho, what the _shuck _is your problem?!" Newt asked, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Why do you guys even say those words anyway?" Thomas cut in. Minho laughed, pointing a finger at Newt.

"Blame this dumb shank. He called a teacher a dumb fu-"

"SHUCK"

"Ahem. He called a teacher a dumb_ fuck_ and got himself, along with me and Alby, a week of detentions. So we made up our own words." Minho said, shooting a glare at Alby when he interrupted.

"So, lets continue the tour. Minho, will you be joining us?" Alby asked, clearly hoping the newest member of the party would say no. He smiled smugly.

"Why not?" The unlikely four took off in the direction of the main building, doors clanging shut loudly behind them.

_What am I doing here?! _Thomas thought to himself.

* * *

By the end of the tour, Thomas was sure he would go nuts from all the bickering and sarcasm. He couldn't wait when they finally showed him where his room was.

"You'll be rooming with Chuck. He's a fat little shank, but he'll grow on ya." Newt said bluntly. "Oh and by the way, no matter what Minho tells you, sneaking into the girl's dormitories is not a good idea." Minho grinned at Thomas.

"Poor sap hasn't even tried, how would he know? It's quite a thrill, actually. Just don't get caught by ol' Griever."

"Griever?"

"It's what we call the janitor. Creepy thing, he is. He's usually only out at night, but sometimes you'll see him during the day. Always looks like he wants to kill somebody."

"Especially when that 'somebody' is a boy sneaking into the girls dorm rooms." Alby said dryly. Minho laughed before pushing open the door.

"Hey Chuck! Your new roommate's here!" A small boy came scurrying out, running to the door with his blue eyes aglow. He smiled happily and Thomas fought the urge to smile himself. He was awkward looking, young and a bit chubby, but he seemed genuinely happy and it was a bit contagious despite the circumstances.

"Hi!" Chuck said, "You must be Thomas! I'm glad I finally have a roommate, I've been here a month without one. Get's kinda lonely." He paused for a moment. "Oh, you comin' in?" Thomas nodded, making his way inside. Minho waved.

"Have fun you two." He said with a suggestive eyebrow wiggle. Thomas slammed the door in his face.

* * *

Newt flopped down on the bed with a sigh. Alby sat down next to him.

"What's wrong?" He spoke up, voice far softer now that it was only the two of them. The blonde sighed again.

"Do you think Minho will be able to find a good replacement for me on the track team? It's been a few months and he hasn't found anyone permanent yet. I know he was mad about my injury." The boy paused for a minute, rubbing his bad leg, wincing. "Do you think he knows?" Alby ran his fingers through the other's hair.

"No." He murmured. "That idiot wouldn't figure it out if you handed it to him in writing." Newt frowned.

"Good that." He hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Alby?"

"Mhhm?"

"Thanks." He took the older boy's hand in his own, tracing patterns absent-mindedly with his thumb as he stared at the ceiling. "For everything." Alby smiled.

"I'm just glad you're better now." His tone got harsher. "But don't you ever do that again." Newt nodded.

"I'm gonna going to bed." They both got up, Alby flicking off the lights before stripping down to his boxers and getting in his bed across the room. Newt did the same a moment later, though he still wore his hoodie. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

* * *

Thomas lay back, eyes closing slowly. Chuck had been talking his ear off for the past hour and his head was pounding. _I swear the only thing the kid likes more than talking is eating. _He thought to himself. Chuck had just snuck off to another boy's room saying something about him having the best fridge contents. _What was his name again? Siggy? Chuck called him Frypan._ He thought for a moment, pausing at the odd nickname. He had gotten through his first day. He really wasn't sure what to think. Chuck, though annoying as hell, was nice enough and Newt seemed okay, though he wasn't sure if Alby liked him all that much. They were so busy talking to each other he wasn't sure really what they thought of him.

And then there was Minho. With him, he had no idea. Nearly everything the boy said had been either offensive or sexual and what wasn't either of the two was laced with sarcasm. It was impossible to determine the boy's opinion of nearly anything that he didn't flatly state his thoughts about and he certainly hadn't said anything meaningful about Thomas. He was a bit confusing.

He felt himself drift off to sleep, thoughts wandering before they were extinguished as he succumbed to the night.

* * *

_Hope you like it guys, I'll try to update as soon as I can, as of right now I'm ridiculously busy, so it might take a little while  
Don't be afraid to drop a review and tell me what you think or give a suggestion, I don't bite unless provoked.  
_


	2. Chapter 2

_Sorry for the late update, I just got back from vacation. I was planning on updating before I left, but I had a lot of shit going on and almost had to go to the hospital and yah, a lot's happened, my apologies again._

_For future reference, in case you don't know, group b used stick as one of their slang words._

_Also, I neglected to mention that the title is a Pink Floyd reference. Damn good band_

_Also for the descriptions of Ben and Gally, I based Gally's description off of the book description, but couldn't find anything about Ben. In case you're unaware, there is a Maze Runner movie in the making and I can't remember the name of the guy playing Ben and don't feel like looking it up (Chris something I think) But I do know that he's sexy as fuck. Ben's description is based off this, but Gally's is not based off his movie description because he was given a detailed book description. I'm not bashing Will Poulter (who's playing Gally) in any way. Sorry, just felt the need to clarify._

* * *

"Get up ladies, it's morning!" Thomas groaned, pulling his blanket over his head in a pathetic attempt to cover the sound assaulting his ears. When the blanket was roughly yanked away, he came face to face with Newt.

"Well are you gonna just sit there or are you gonna get your lazy duff outta bed?" As much as Thomas would have loved to just sit there, he knew it was his first real day of school and he had to be present. He groaned again, shoving the boy off of him.

"Nngghh, fine." Newt smiled, then grabbed Thomas' pillow, throwing it at the bed across the room.

"Chuck!" A lumpy mass of blankets twitched and let out a surprised yelp.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR SHUCK-FACE?!" He yelled, sitting up quickly. "YOU SCARED THE KLUNK OUTTA ME."

"I told you to get your sorry arse outta bed and you just lay there like Minho when he eats too much." Newt griped, giggling slightly at the younger boy.

"You're not the boss of me." Chuck shot back grumpily.

"Don't make me get Alby." Newt teased, but Chuck didn't seem to catch on to his humor, eyes getting wide before he hauled himself out from beneath the blankets.

"I'm going, I'm going." The boy went off to change in a corner, still grumbling and sending furious glances back in Newt's direction.

"So why are we up so early? I thought classes started at seven-thirty. It's six." Thomas asked as he fumbled with his shirt. Newt laughed.

"As much as you need your beauty sleep, I figured we should get an early start so I can show you your classes. We're a small school, about sixty of us in all, so you're likely to get somebody you already know in most, if not all your classes. What's your schedule?"

"Math, science, literature, then social studies."

"Well, you've got math and literature with me and Alby. Unfortunately, you've got your first two classes with Gally, one of them with Ben as well. Steer clear of them; they're nothing but trouble. You're last three classes you've got with Minho, and social studies you've got with Chuck. Not bad."

Thomas would have hoped to have more classes with Chuck, and wouldn't have minded less classes with Alby, but Newt was right, it wasn't bad.

After getting dressed, he followed Newt out the door.

"Ok Greenie, We're gonna do this fast because I want breakfast. Math room's this way."

"Greenie?" Thomas questioned, eyebrows raising. Newt only sighed.

"I hate newbies, I really do."

* * *

They finished the tour quickly, Newt didn't linger in the classrooms for very long before moving to the next. His leg seemed to be bothering him, so nearly every movement made him wince. He did a good job of hiding it, but Thomas noticed anyway.

"You okay man?" Newt looked up in surprise.

"What makes you ask?"

"Your leg, you're favoring it."

Newt said nothing for a minute. "Well, get used to it, Tommy, that's how it usually is."

"What happened?"

Newt paused for even longer. "Best be getting to lunch, don't want to keep everyone waiting." They started walking off in the other direction. "Oh and you finally get to meet some girls here. Most of whom are Minho's Ex-girlfriends." Newt laughed at the second part, but it took Thomas a minute to join in. "Then again half the guys in this school are his ex-boyfriends." Thomas's felt his face grow red at that last statement. Minho was bi? Newt must have noted the change of expression, for he sighed loudly. "Ughh, don't tell me you're homophobic. If so, you better transfer out of that class you have with Ben and Gally. I once got to class early and they were-"

"Newt, I'm not homophobic! Please, just don't finish that sentence!" Newt breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good, at this school, you can't afford to be." He laughed. "Well tell me Tommy, If you're not homophobic, why were you blushing like that?" He wiggled his eyebrows. Thomas's face turned crimson. "Hurry your butt, we're almost there." As they walked into the hustle and bustle of the cafeteria, Thomas saw Minho, sitting by Alby, wave him over. Newt elbowed him lightly. "He's single you know." He whispered before going over to sit by Alby. Thomas practically growled at him before taking a seat by Minho. He finished saying something quietly to Alby that made the boy chuckle darkly before he turned to Thomas.

"Hey greenbean, did you enjoy the tour?"

"Why does everyone keep calling me greenbean?!"

Minho laughed. "Means you're the newest newbie. Used to be Chuck, but now you're stuck with it."

"Great. Couldn't ask for a better nickname." He replied dryly.

"Hey, I've thought of worse." He said, laughing. It was abruptly cut off though, when he spotted two boys walking towards their table. They were close to the same height, but the one in front was slightly taller. He had greasy black hair that hung in front of his face in clumpy strands and a slightly smushed face with a large nose that jutted forward awkwardly. The one behind him was definitely easier on the eyes, handsome even, which made Thomas wonder what they were doing together. He had a strong build and a strong jaw, with pale blue eyes and light blonde hair. But his face was marred with an arrogant smirk.

"Get out of here Gally." Alby said this, standing up to face him, and though he was barely taller, he was far more intimidating. Gally smirked.

"Hey, I'm not here to make fun of your boyfriend again." He spat, glancing at Newt. "I just wanted to introduce myself to the newbie." He turned to Thomas. "I'm Gally and this," he thrust his thumb towards the boy behind him, "Is Benny."

"Ben." The other boy spoke up, embarrassed.

Gally snorted. "Excuse me,_ Ben_."

"I said get out, Gally!" Alby snarled, and Thomas fought the urge to shrink back in terror. He was far more afraid of Alby than Gally.

"Hey, I wasn't doin nothin' to you, shank, don't give me lip. Just came over to make sure the newbie knew his place."

"Don't you go messin' with Thomas." Minho spoke up. "If you do, you'll be messin' with me."

"And me." Newt added.

"I think I've made my feelings pretty clear already." Alby said bluntly.

"Oh I'm shaking in my boots. Me and all my friends against a hothead, an emo, and a princess. Truly terrified." And with that he stalked off, Ben close at his heels.

"Who put a stick up his ass?" Thomas muttered.

Minho laughed. "That would be Ben." Thomas gave him a horrified look that made him laugh harder.

"We should probably introduce you to Sonia and Harriet later. Though I don't volunteer to do it. Sonia just might gut me." They laughed and continued with their usual talk and gossip, before Minho poked Thomas in the shoulder.

"Oh, I forgot to ask you, we have a spot open on the track team that needs to be filled as soon as possible, would you be interested?" Thomas raised his eyebrows.

"You do track?"

Minho grinned smugly. "Team captain, as well as best distance runner. Newt over there used to be our best sprinter, but ever since he hurt his leg, we haven't been able to find a good replacement. Do you run?" Thomas shrugged.

"I guess we'll find out." Minho patted him on the back.

"Great, glad you're interested. Couldn't get Alby to join." He stuck his tongue out at the dark-skinned boy. "Dick."

"Hey, you know I'm no good at it!"

"No matter what you say, I'll still be mad at you." Minho shot back, pouting.

"Hey guys!" A girl walked over to their table. She was tall and lean, wavy black hair swishing behind her with every movement. "I'm new here, Sonia and Harriet told me to introduce myself." She glanced back at the table of girls across the room.

"Sonia, eh?" Minho asked. "Did she say anything about me?" The girl laughed, but Thomas felt his heart sink.

"Something. I'm pretty sure I heard the words stick, bitch, and idiotic bastard. That's just the lighter stuff. I don't feel comfortable saying the rest out loud."

Minho pouted. "Aww." He turned to Thomas. "My most recent ex." The boy practically breathed out a sigh of relief. There was just something about Minho...

"I'm Teresa by the way."

"I'm Newt."

"Alby."

"As you probably already know, the name's Minho."

"Thomas. I'm new here too." He said, smiling. She smiled back.

"Cool! Well, I'm gonna sit back with them, nice meeting you!" She waved before going back to her table.

Minho raised his eyebrows. "She's pretty cute, what do you think Thomas?"

He shrugged "She was pretty I guess." And she _was. _Anyone with eyes could see that. But he felt no connection with her, no spark, nothing that peaked his interest. She did seem nice, though, and he wouldn't mind talking to her again.

* * *

His morning classes flew by, thankfully with no trouble from Gally or Ben. It was almost like his old school, the obnoxious passing of notes between Newt, Alby, Minho, and, occasionally, himself. He didn't really listen to what the teachers were saying and they didn't seem to much care what they were saying themselves. The thing nagging at his mind, however, was his track team audition. Minho told him he would just have to run a few things, the 100, 200, 400, and 1600 and see how his time stacks up. He really didn't want to disappoint him, and he definitely didn't want to embarrass himself.

"Distracted there, are we greenie?"

Thomas looked up. Minho was standing over his desk.

"Nervous for your little audition?"

Thomas nodded. "A bit. I really want to get on the team."

Minho smiled. "I'm sure you'll do fine. Don't sweat it." He patted him on his back, hands lingering just barely longer than they should have. "You wanna walk to lunch with me?"

Thomas grinned. "Sure!"

* * *

Thomas sat in last hour, stirring nervously. When the half bell had wrung he actually fell out of his seat in surprise, earning quite a few snickers and a joking insult from Chuck. He couldn't get the butterflies in his stomach to go away. Finally, when class had dragged on enough and the final bell went off, he stayed in his seat, waiting for Minho to come and meet him. He felt his thoughts wander to the other, though the butterflies remained, but perhaps for a different reason. If it was Chuck or Newt he wouldn't feel nearly as nervous, so why Minho?

"I see you're in a deep thinking mood today." He heard a sarcastic voice remark behind him. "This is the second time I've caught you staring into space when I walked in the room."

Thomas coughed uncomfortably. "Just tired I guess."

The other boy grinned. "Well you better get your butt up and stay awake because we're heading to the track. After we see how you do, I'll tell you the results tomorrow. The next meet is actually three days from now, so if you make it you'll have to get yourself in shape pretty fast." Thomas stood up.

"Cool, lets go."

* * *

_Hope you liked it guys!_

_I'll try to update faster this time. Thanks for reading and thank you for all the lovely reviews! I'm happy this story had gotten positive responses so far._

_by the way, Gally does actually call Ben "Benny" in the books._


	3. Chapter 3

_A note on panic attacks: I did my best here, but I've only had one (GOD they suck ass) and it was almost a year ago, so it was pretty difficult to write. I have, however, helped a friend through a few, so I based Alby's actions off personal experience. I don't know whether or not this is actually what you're supposed to do, but we were always only around friends when it happened, so I did what I had to and Alby does the same, seemings that the only adult around isn't actually doing anything. I hope it wasn't too off, I did a little research, but I'm no doctor.  
_

_I would post a link to a picture of the hot plates used in science class in case you don't know/remember what they look like, but whenever I try to post a link IT DOESN'T FUCKING WORK. I AM SUCH A FAILURE AT USING THIS WEBSITE HOLY SHIT  
_

_and yes, it does hurt like hell when someone presses your hand to one._

_I apologize in advance for the angst in this chapter._

* * *

Thomas was woken up, once again, way to early for his liking, by loud knocking on the door. Chuck groaned.

"Why did I say I wanted a roommate?"

Thomas just laughed. "Who's there?" The knocking stopped.

"It's Santa Clause, who do you think, shank?"

"Minho?"

"Duh, now let me in."

Thomas rolled out of bed, sluggishly making his way over, pulling open the door to find Minho standing in the frame in skinny jeans and a tank-top, eating what looked like a sub sandwich. "Dude, what the hell?" Thomas said, voice slurring as he rubbed his barely-open eyes.

"Ijushdthoudmayabe" He started, mouth full of sandwich before he coughed, then finished chewing. "Ahem. I just thought maybe you'd like to know the name of the most recent addition to the track team." Thomas stared in surprise.

"You made it bro! You had really good times, especially on the two-hundred. The coach was really impressed." Thomas grinned.

"Oh my gosh, that's awesome! Thanks for telling me man!"

Minho slapped him on the back. "No problem. Now you go get your pansy ass back to bed and we can talk about the meet later."

"Cool! See you at breakfast!" Minho nodded before he closed the door, footsteps clicking down the otherwise silent hall.

* * *

Breakfast and first hour flew by with nothing particularly out of the ordinary happening. He talked briefly to Teresa who turned out to have literature with him. Everything was perfectly normal. Until second hour science.

They were doing a lab today, something to do with seeing how different substances reacted to heat. Thomas had partnered up with Minho and Newt with Alby and they all sat at the same lab table. Gally and Ben were at the table next to them. They spent the first bit of time fiddling with their materials, particularly the hot plate which Thomas couldn't seem to work as it was different from the ones at his old school and Minho was busy doodling an offensive portrait of their teacher, Mr. Anders, on the page where his notes were supposed to be. Finally, Newt came over and showed him how to work it and they were ready to get started. So, apparently were Ben and Gally. Thomas was just messing with the settings when they headed over.

"So the little bitch had to show his idiot of a friend how to do his work. Adorable."

Alby growled. "I warned you to leave him alone Gally."

Gally laughed. "What are you going to do about it slinthead?"

"Don't you dare test me."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot your _boyfriend_ here can't speak for himself."

Newt tried, he really did. But his mouth felt dry and he just couldn't think of anything to say. He racked his brain for a comeback, however lame, just something to get Gally off his back. Before he could even think of something to say, a hand was dragging his own against the nearest hot plate. White hot pain flashed before his eyes before he felt his hand roughly yanked away and he stared at it for a moment in shocked silence, starting to shake. _This is not happening_ he thought to himself, _not again, not here. I can't even defend myself._

"Oops" He heard Ben's mocking voice say in his ear.

By then Mr. Anders had noticed something was up. "Newt? Son, you okay?" Newt didn't respond so the man walked forward and gripped his shoulders, giving his a light shake.

"What's wrong? Newton?" But the innocently intended jarring was the last straw and Newt stumbled backwards.

"Stop!" He yelled, backing up towards the wall.

* * *

Newt tugged on the collar of his shirt. It was too tight, far too tight. He was feeling dizzy.

The air felt thin.

He could barely breathe.

God, why was the air so_ thin_?

He felt the edges of his vision blur, dark splotches pasting themselves in his sight.

In the distance he heard someone saying his name, but he couldn't seem to focus.

And then he couldn't breathe at all.

He fell forwards, grabbing at his hoodie again in some vain hope that it would stop the panic overrunning his body. He was on his knees now, fingers scraping across the tile. But then he heard footsteps.

He felt a hand on his back, a familiar motion and a familiar hand, pulling him upwards. And then he was sitting up, a boy's face mere inches from his that he knew all to well, but couldn't focus on. He felt a wave of nausea pass over him as he continued his fight for air. He heard snickering and felt the burning in his hand intensify as he clawed at it, trying anything to make it go away. It reminded him too much of something.

_His old school. Anywhere but there.  
_

The panic got worse, his anxiety increasing, but then he heard a voice through the haze.

"... I just need you to breathe Newt, can you do that for me? Calm down and take a deep breath. Come on, you have to try, I know you can do this." The hand on his back was now rubbing in small circles and all fear started to fade.

But _god_, his chest hurt.

But the voice was still going and now another hand was brushing the hair from his face. The blood pounded in his ears, throat and lungs burning.

"Come on, look at me Newt, you're gonna be fine, you just have to breathe."

_Breathe? _

Why did that concept seem so foreign now?

"Please."

And then his lungs released him from his curse, opening up finally and the boy took a gulp of air. It was so sudden and needy that it pained him, even as he kept breathing in, trying to make up for the time he spent without it. He felt himself pulled into a gentle embrace, the hands abandoning their previous places and finding themselves entwined in his hair.

"Thank god."

Newt felt hot tears run down his neck, but they weren't his own. "Alby?" He whispered, his voice thin and pained.

"Yes. It's me." Alby said softly.

* * *

Thomas watched the scene unfold so quickly he didn't even know how to respond. Newt was on the ground, not breathing, Alby had rushed over, and it seemed Minho was just as shocked as him. Ben and Gally had stopped snickering and backed up, looking nervously at each other and Mr. Anders just looked really confused. Only Alby seemed to know what he was doing, made clear as Newt finally took a shaky gasp of air. Mr. Anders, it seemed, had finally figured out what was going on and headed over to the two boys' side.

"What was that?"

"Panic attack." Alby said, still holding on to the blonde.

"Well, I know that, but why?"

"It's a long story. Mr. Anders please, can I just take him back to our dorm?"

"Shouldn't he go to the nurse or something?" Alby shook his head. "So I'm assuming this isn't the first time this has happened." Alby shook his head again.

"Can we please just go back?"

The teacher sighed. "Fine. If it happens again though, you take him straight to the nurse, you hear me?" Alby nodded, then turned back to Newt, whispering something in his ear. The younger opened his eyes slowly, whispering something back quietly before he was slowly helped to his feet. He tried to take a step forward, but collapsed against Alby, who merely picked him up like he weighed nothing then walked out the door.

Minho turned to Thomas, voicing what they were all thinking.

"What the hell just happened?!"

* * *

Newt and Alby didn't show up the rest of the day, so Thomas and Minho agreed to go to their dorm later. To be honest, Thomas was glad he didn't have to worry about track practice after school and he was genuinely worried for Newt. Newt was the only one who was _always_ nice to him, aside from Chuck (Minho had his rude moments, and Alby had even more) and he was still quite confused and concerned. Minho took his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"I'm sure he'll be fine." Thomas glanced down at their hands, back at Minho, then down again, face growing red and feeling his heart pound in his throat. He somehow managed to smile in agreement.

"I hope so." He wasn't sure exactly how he got his lungs to work. Minho gave a gentle knock at the door. Alby swung open the door, looking slightly more agitated than usual.

"What do you want?"

"Slim it grumpy, we just wanted to know if Newt's okay."

Alby sighed. "Why don't you ask him? Though I doubt he can hear you. He's been blasting 80's music for the past two hours. I would be ripping my shuck hair out if it was long enough, but since it isn't I settled for shoving my pillow over my ears."

Thomas laughed. "Why 80's music?"

Alby seemed much less amused. "According to him, there's no better era."

Minho looked confused. "Why would he choose the 80's? There's so much great music now!" They heard a snort and Newt showed up behind Alby at the door. His hand was bandaged and his eyes were bloodshot, but even though he looked like he hadn't slept in a month, Thomas doubted he'd ever seen worse bedhead in his life.

"Yeah, like Katy Perry? You just like her because she's hot."

"Newt man, you're okay!"

"Yeah, unlike your taste in music." The boy grumbled. "Hey, don't you have track practice?"

Minho shrugged. "We can show up late."

Newt's eyebrows raised. "We?"

Thomas grinned. "I made the track team!"

"Awesome! The meet is tomorrow, right?" They both nodded. "Me and Alby will met ya there!" There was a pause and a glare from Alby. "So Minho, why are you really here?"

Minho pouted. "What do you mean 'why am I _really_ here'?"

"I mean you wouldn't come over unless you had something to ask of us."

He laughed "Okay, you got me. I'm plotting something and I was hoping all of you could join me." Alby face-palmed.

"Minho, we're not going to pelt Griever with water balloons filled with piss. How many times do I have to tell you no?"

"Not that, shuck-face, we're going to sneak into the girls dorms."

Newt snorted. "Man, spying on Sonia in her underwear is not going to help your chances with her."

"But if we follow my plan, she'll never know."

"Minho, this is a new low, even for you."

"Come on, we can sneak out tonight!"

Thomas finally spoke up. "If you're sure it'll work, I'm in." Minho slapped him on the back.

"The newbie's got the idea! Come on guys, you know you want to!"

Alby glanced at Newt. "If there will be no music involved, I'm in too. I can't sit here any longer with this."

Newt sighed. "You all suck. Fine, lets do it. But if I get caught, Minho, so help me I will strangle you."

Minho grinned. "Great. So, here's the plan..."

* * *

_Thanks for putting up with by weird writing. I have to work on not switching from angsty to serious to weird and back so much. Ugghhh I'm sorry. _

_Haha am I the only one who could picture Newt liking 80's rock and 90's grunge? It just seems to suit him.  
_

**_ALSO, Pertaining to length, I have no idea how long this will be. I'm aiming for somewhere around fifteen or twenty chapters, nothing too long. Irregular, but somewhat frequent updates are to be expected. At least one every two weeks unless I have a very valid excuse._**


	4. Chapter 4

_Thank you to all the readers, reviewers, favorite-rs, and followers! I really appreciate all your support :) _

_it's backstory time for Newt! Which kinda just means more angst. I'm sorry, I just love angsty Newt almost as much as I love sassy Minho. Next chapter will be better, I swear XD but there will be more on all of their backstories (except Thomas because he's boring) later :) Minho's will be next if all goes according to plan  
_

* * *

Thomas glanced over at Minho. _I can't believe him. __He wants to go spy on girls. Asshole._

"Does that make sense?"

Thomas sighed inwardly, but smiled at the other boy. "yup."

Alby glared at Minho. "This is a terrible plan you know, we'll likely get caught."

"Come on Alby, live a little! It's not everyday I come up with brilliant plans like these! It won't fail."

"Minho, you've never come up with a plan that didn't involve superheroes or giant robots. Just because this plan is far more intelligent _in comparison _doesn't mean it's even a remotely good idea."

Minho pondered his words for a moment, shrugged, then turned around. "Sissy. I'm going. Thomas is going. Newt doesn't want to go, but I'm making him come. You're going too. Come on, you spoilsport!"

Alby sighed. "Fine. Lets get moving."

Minho frowned. "Were you not listening at all? We have to wait until it gets dark."

Alby groaned. "Just do what you want, I'm done." He walked back over by Newt and something that made both of them snort.

Minho turned to Thomas. "So, how you wanna kill a few hours?"

* * *

After far too many games of Go Fish and some disturbing interpretive dance from Minho, night had fallen and it was time to set out. Minho walked up to the door, thrusting it open in an obnoxiously over-exaggerated motion.

"Tis time. And we shall thus set forth!"

Newt sighed. "I don't think you used that word right."

"I didn't ask for your opinion, shank!"

They filed out the door with Minho in front, followed by Thomas, then Newt, with Alby bringing up the rear. Sneaking around the short hallways, they finally reached the main dorm doors.

Minho stopped, turning to them. "This is it. There's no turning back now. We get there or get caught."

Alby and Newt groaned. "I don't know which I'd rather." "Drama queen." They muttered simultaneously. He shot them a glare before slowly opening one of the double doors. Thomas held his breath, praying it wouldn't make a noise. It didn't. Minho held it open, putting a finger to his lips as he waved him forward. Thomas obliged, keeping the door open with his hand as he slipped out before doing the same for Newt. After Alby had exited, they started across the grounds. Minho pointed towards the main school building, keeping low to the ground as he crept forward. The darkness was steadily growing and Thomas was having trouble not tripping over his own two feet. He had brought a flashlight, but he dare not use it for fear of attracting the creepy old janitor he had heard so much about. After a few minutes of quiet maneuvering, they ducked against the shadowy walls of the side of their academic building. They were just about to turn the corner of the building, girls dorms almost in sight when Alby let out a surprised yelp.

"Sneaking out past curfew, are we?" Newt, Thomas, and Minho turned around in horror to find a man holding Alby by the collar of his shirt. The boy kept glancing back, disgusted, at the twisted old man keeping a hold on him. His features were small and smushed and he had crooked teeth spilling out over his bottom lip as well as bushy brows that nearly covered his eyes. His shiny bald head gleamed in the light of the moon.

"Let him go, you slimy old bat!" Newt yelled, the force in his tone surprising Thomas. Griever just chuckled, a strange wheezing noise that sounded more like a cough to Thomas, before speaking in a deep, rattly tone.

"You all can come to my office now or receive immediate suspensions. Your choice." The boys sighed. Newt glared at Minho, who gave him an apologetic grin.

"We'll follow you, if that's alright." The boy said, clearly disappointed. Thomas was secretly a little relieved. He sure didn't want any kind of punishment, but he wanted to spy on girls with Minho even less.

"You kids are in big trouble."

* * *

Thomas sighed. He'd been sitting in the small room for almost an hour and was starting to get claustrophobic. Minho was sitting next to him, squirming, Newt was across from Thomas, glaring furiously at Minho, and Alby just looked a little bored. Finally, Griever re-entered the room, followed shortly by the man who he'd first met at the school.

"Vice Principal Janson and I have come to a decision." Griever started, but Janson waved a hand and cut him off.

"You are all to have a week of detentions, every day after school starting tomorrow. My office."

Minho got up from his seat. "But Mr. Janson, we have a track meet tomorrow."

"What a shame. I guess you'll just have to miss it." He smirked and Thomas glanced at Minho, who looked like he was going to punch him at any second. He lay a hand on the other boy's shoulder.

"Minho, it's fine, calm down!"

"It's not fine, it's your first track meet and I'm team captain! The next one's not for another two weeks!"

Thomas smiled gently. "Then we'll just wait two weeks." Minho's brow furrowed as he glared angrily at the two men.

"Fine." He grunted through gritted teeth.

"Done?" Janson asked, glancing between the two boys, who both nodded, but shot him daggers. "Excellent. Then we'll have Mr. Griever escort you back to the boy's dormitory. See you tomorrow. Don't be late." And with that, he stalked off, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Well, best get a move on." Griever said, before opening the door back up, staring expectantly at the four boys, and with angry glances and furious muttering, the four boys walked out.

* * *

Thomas woke up to an uneasy stomach and loud yelling coming from outside his door. Chuck, it seemed, had noticed as well, as he was already dressed and out of bed.

"What's going on?" He said, voice slurring from the early rousing.

Chuck shrugged. "I just got up too, how should I know?"

Thomas got up, throwing off his sheets and stepping forward. "Lets go check it out!"

Chuck put a hand in front of his eyes. "Dude, put some pants on first." Thomas glanced down, realizing it was probably not the best idea to run out there in boxers and an undershirt. Nodding, he pulled on a pair of sweatpants.

"Lets go."

Chuck smiled. "That's much better." Then he swung open the door.

There was no one in the hallway, but the sound definitely got louder, so Thomas and Chuck figured they should try the dorm common room. Their suspicions were confirmed as they got nearer, the noise growing louder until they could make out snippets of conversation.

"Don't you dare say that again!"

"Why, does it bother you that I'm right?"

"You're not!"

"How would you know?"

Turning a corner, Thomas found a small crowd gathering. It seemed he and Chuck weren't the only ones woken. Peering around the boys in front of him, he was quite surprised at what he found. Alby was holding Ben against the wall, fist tight around his shirt, snarl plastered on his face. Ben was smirking, despite the fact that there was quite a bit of blood dripping from his nose, not to mention it was puffy and turning a disturbing shade of purple. Alby wasn't much better off, he had an bad cut on his forehead and there was blood trickling off his chin from a split lip. They continued their fighting, oblivious to the small crowd gathering.

"I don't want to hear those words come out of that shuck mouth of yours ever again, got it? Say whatever you want about me, but you leave him alone." Alby spat, tightening his grip.

Ben laughed. "I bet he's happy she's dead; if she was still alive he never would have gotten shipped off to this school to be your little slut."

Alby punched him hard in the mouth. "You have no idea what you're talking about! Just shut your hole."

Ben laughed again, spraying the other boy with bloody spit. "Bite me." Something in Alby snapped then, Thomas could see it. He threw Ben to the ground, hand curling into a fist, he raised his arm. Thomas was just about to intervene when someone beat him to the punch. It was Gally.

He threw Alby off Ben, holding him back by the arms as Ben slowly stood. He glared at Alby, smirk gone, before slugging him hard in the stomach. The other boy gasped for breath, trying in vain to break Gally's grip on him as Ben continued to beat him over and over. Thomas stepped forward, grabbing Ben by the back of the shirt and throwing him away from Alby, barely comprehending what he was doing. He wrenched Gally's hands away, causing Alby to crumple to a heap on the floor, coughing and sputtering. He shoved the other boy against the wall.

"Look, I don't know what your problem is with them, but it needs to stop."

Gally chuckled. "Isn't that rich, the greenie thinks he's in charge. Sorry, not happening." And with that he pushed Thomas away, grabbing Ben by the arm and dragging him away.

"This isn't over newbie." Was all he said before he'd vanished from sight, lost in the mob of boys. Thomas walked over to Alby, who was still on the ground. He offered a hand, but Alby shook his head, standing quickly, then swaying on his feet, one hand holding his head, the other his stomach.

"You okay?"

Alby nodded. "Yeah, I think I'm gonna sit breakfast out though. I'm going back to my room." He took a few steps and fell to the ground with a grunt.

"Dude, seriously, at least let me make sure you get back alive."

Alby frowned, pushing himself upwards. "Whatever." They pushed their way past the other teenagers, reaching the hallway.

Uncomfortable silence fell before Thomas finally spoke. "What was that about anyway?"

Alby frowned. "They said some things about Newt. I told them to leave him alone. It escalated quickly."

"What exactly is their problem with him anyway?"

He sighed. "Gally and Ben usually are the most awful to people that are the worst at defending themselves. Newt hasn't exactly had the best experiences recently, and they know that."

"What happened?"

There was a long pause. "His mom died in a car accident. Shortly after he got transferred here because an older boy at his old school broke his arm."

"Car accident? Is that how he hurt his leg?"

"No." Alby didn't elaborate. Silence followed until they reached the room. Thomas started to walk away, but felt a tug at his arm.

"Wait, I have to talk to you for a minute. It's about Minho." Thomas looked up in surprise.

"I don't know what-"

"Save it," Alby cut off, "I know you like him. You've been giving him the goo-goo eyes ever since you got here. And I'm pretty sure the feeling's mutual. But there is something you have to understand about him. He is a good guy, he really is, but he plows through girlfriends and boyfriends like nobody's business. If you want to go there, sure, go for it, it's none of my business, but be careful. You'll likely get hurt."

"Look, Alby, I know you mean well, but you're right, it _is_ none of your business." And with that, he left.

* * *

_Yay for stereotypical tragic backstories!_

_I love writing fight scenes :)  
_

_Next up on ABINW, detention! I could totally just make a breakfast club parody out of it._


	5. Chapter 5

_I'm so sorry this took so long. I've had a serious personal matter come up and haven't had the time or energy to write. Hopefully the next chapter will be up faster, but no promises. Again, my deepest apologies._

_This chapter is a bit of a filler, and a bit shorter than normal, but it's my favorite so far and has some sexy scenes just for you guys ____;) _(haha they're not even close to explicit, so don't get your hopes up) They weren't in the blueprint, but I owe you guys for the late update XD  


* * *

Detention was boring. It took less than half an our for Thomas to determine that much. It was boring as hell.

Janson did not mess around. It was half an hour of no talking and no getting up. For Minho, it was half an hour of no talking, no getting up, no eating, no dancing, no drawing rude doodles that faintly resemble the teacher and use a creative array of swear words, and no one-sided staring contests. It was, however, a half an hour in which he managed to earn himself an extra week of detentions.

But then Janson left.

"If you kids do anything you're not supposed to, you'll be punished accordingly." He said as he walked out, glancing back at Minho. "Just because I'm not here doesn't mean I don't know." And then he was gone. There was still an hour and a half left in the detention, Thomas figured he'd get painfully bored. He was dead wrong.

Minho waited for a moment, staring at the door with intense concentration before shifting his gaze to the three other boys with a mischievous grin. Then he climbed up on the desk, crossed his legs, gave an over-dramatic hair flip, and with the gayest voice he could muster, said,

"So boys, it's just us in here. What shall we do now?" Alby scooted his chair over just far enough so that he could kick Minho really hard in his shin.

"Hey! That was uncalled for!"

Newt snorted. "Hardly."

Thomas sighed. "Seriously though, what are we gonna do?"

Minho shrugged. "I dunno, ask Alby, he's the one that usually gets detentions."

"Hey!"

"What? It's true! I can't help you have a terrible temper."

Alby gave him an angry look then slumped down in his seat. There was silence for less then ten seconds before Minho started up again.

"I'm bored." He poked Alby's cheek. "You're boring." He sat over by Thomas. "Do you have any decent ideas? I can't sit any longer. I might explode."

Newt looked up. "If you do, I'm not washing you off the walls."

"Shut up Shuck-face!"

Thomas thought for a moment. "Not really. But I'm not playing go fish again. Now that I think of it, I'd rather not do anything that involves either winning or losing, because I can't decide whether your victory dance or your defeat sulking is worse."

"Defeat sulking." Newt spoke up. "At least the victory dance doesn't involve any punching."

Minho pouted. "You guys just don't understand how to express yourselves. Well anyway, I've got an idea. Lets play truth or dare."

Alby laughed. "The girls game?"

"It's not a girls game! And just for that, you get to start."

"Fine. Minho, Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Girls choose truth." Minho flipped him off. "Fine, geez. Uhh, Coke or Pepsi?"

Minho facepalmed. "I can't even do this with you. Choose someone else."

"Newt?"

He laughed. "That question _is_ lame, even for you Alby. Pepsi."

Minho snorted. "Hipster."

"Hey, I just like it cause it's sweeter!." He pouted. "Anyway, Tommy, truth or dare?"

"Dare."

Newt thought for a moment. Then an evil smirk came across his face. "I dare you to kiss Minho."

"What?!"

"Can't back out now, go on, I know you want to."

Minho laughed, "Come on man, it's a dare! You have to now." He puckered his lips. Thomas's face burned red.

"Well, what if I don't want to?"

Minho smirked, leaning forward and pecking the other boy on the mouth. Pulling back less than an inch, he hovered over the other boys lips a moment before speaking.

"Wuss." Then he pulled back. Thomas, if possible, was now even redder than before and seemed unable to get any words out of his mouth.

"Well?"

He came to his senses. "Er...Minho?"

"Truth again."

"Umm, who do you think is the hottest celebrity?"

"Easy. Jenifer Laurence." He answered with an amusing lack of hesitation. He glanced between the three boys for a moment. "...Newt. Truth or dare."

Newt glared. "Dare."

Minho laughed. "Wrong move there. You have to spend the rest of the game in Alby's lap. No, better yet, the rest of detention. When Janson walks back in the room you still have to be there." He paused for a moment, laughing harder. "Man, I can't wait to see his face when he walks in the classroom. Homophobic bitch."

"I hate you."

"Hey, don't I get a say in this?" Alby spoke up.

"I didn't." Thomas mumbled.

"Well, I get detention way more than you ever will and it's already awkward enough."

"You guys are doing the dare."

"Or what?" Newt demanded.

"I will be able to use your pathetic lack of manlyness as blackmail for the rest of your natural lives."

"I'm terrified. Such a manly reputation I have, it would be a shame for it to be destroyed." Newt said sarcastically.

"Oh just do it." Thomas blurted, annoyed.

"Fine. Bloody shanks." And with that, he stalked across the room and plopped down on Alby's lap, who gave a surprised yelp before blushing furiously. "I forfeit this game before it gets even worse."

"Me too!" Alby chimed in.

"This is becoming an all-out war. I think I will forfeit as well before I am forced to do something unpleasant and even worse, permanent. That leaves you, Thomas, to, excuse this innuendo, play with yourself. I suggest you quit as well before I am forced to make even dirtier jokes about the situation."

He sighed. "I guess I'm out." And with that, Minho had climbed back onto the table and had begun to complain he was bored again, Newt was shifting uncomfortably on Alby's lap, and Alby seemed unable to make eye contact with anything but the floor. It was at that moment that Janson walked in, starting to make a comment that they had an hour left. It was soon cut off upon looking at Minho who was sprawled across the table, drawing a mustache on his belly in pen. He was even more at a loss for words upon looking at Newt and Alby, who both now looked like they would rather be anywhere else. A laugh escaped Thomas' lips.

"Something funny, Mr. Thomas?" He immediately did his best to erase his expression.

"No sir."

"Well then, all of you sit down and be quiet. I expect you all to obey the rules for your remaining hour, unless you want more detentions." Minho sat back down. "Mr. Newton, do you plan on sitting in your own seat?"

"I can't sir." He replied, struggling to keep his face blank.

"Why not?" Janson questioned, jaw tightening with annoyance.

"My manhood is at stake." At this, both he and Minho couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing. Even Alby chuckled a bit, and Thomas simply worried that they would be in detention for the rest of their lives.

"I could care less about your manhood, Mr. Newton." Minho and Newt giggled. "I simply care that you get back to your seat." Newt got up very slowly, giving Alby the best fake lustful gaze he could muster before moving to his chair.

Minho stared sincerely at Newt. "I hate to tell you this...But your manhood is gone." Newt faked a gasp and Janson just stormed out of the room in anger. The room was filled with laughter.

"You guys are so dead." Thomas said, trying to quiet the three others down. It didn't work.

"He doesn't even try anymore. We're pretty much the three most annoying guys in the whole school. Eventually he just gets tired of giving us detentions." Alby stated bluntly.

Thomas just sighed.

* * *

Thomas shut his dorm door quietly, careful not to disturb Chuck, who was sleeping on the floor, even though it was only around five, next to a box of frosted flakes. He plopped down on his bed and let his thoughts wander back to the kiss. It was actually rather...nice, now that he thought about it. Much nicer than he would have expected (not that he'd thought about it or anything, of course he hadn't). It was then that a knock sounded on his door. He jumped and Chuck stirred slightly, clutching the cereal box closer to his chest, mumbling something unintelligible. When he opened the door, he was surprised to find Minho waiting there. He was shifting nervously, wringing his hands.

"Err..Thomas, I'm sorry about earlier. If you really didn't want to kiss me, I shouldn't have, I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Hell, I don't even know if you're into guys or..."

Thomas stared at him in shock for a moment. Then, without a second thought or single regret, kissed the other boy straight on the mouth. It was soft and warm and even better than the last one, for this time their lips lingered. It took Minho a moment to respond. His eyes opened wide, then they fluttered closed and he tangled a hand in Thomas' hair. They waited a bit longer before pulling away, panting.

Chuck cleared his throat from behind them. Thomas glanced back, embarrassed to find that the boy had awoke and was still sitting on the ground, disshelved and covered in frosted flakes, but still staring at them uncomfortably. Minho scratched his neck absently, blushing.

"Err, well, I'd better go. See you at dinner."

Thomas nodded, then walked back in his dorm room, closing the door gently behind him.

"So, anything interesting happen during detention today?" Chuck asked, still glancing uncomfortably at the door as if Minho would burst in at any moment and start making out with Thomas again.

Thomas grinned. "Nothing in particular."

* * *

_Okay Newt and Minho are my brotp. I love the thought of them causing mischief together._

_And yes, Jenifer Laurence is the hottest celebrity. No questions._


	6. Chapter 6

_ IT'S FINALLY FINISHED _

_I'm so sorry for the delay. I feel like last time I was probably annoyingly vague and just so you guys don't think I'm just lying and blowing this off, since the chapter four update, I had to help plan a wedding, a funeral, my mom got surgery, my friend just got released after two weeks in the hospital, and I started high school (which gets me two to four hours of homework a day since I decided to be dumb and take all advanced classes). It has been a busy time._

_I feel like since I made up for the lateness last time with a kiss and since this took twice as long there should be smut, __but I can't write that shit. So have some relationship developments. _

_This chapter is a bit more angsty and Nalbyish, but I've had a shitty month, forgive me._

_Also, be sure to check out Fictiongirl99's new story, Rules are Made to be Broken, it's her first fanfiction and it turned out really great! She's been so supportive of me and my writing :)_

* * *

Thomas's head didn't stop spinning for days. He couldn't stop smiling. Newt had taken notice and made fun of him for it every chance he got. Minho had noticed too and had taken to occasionally resting his arm around Thomas's waist. That didn't exactly help with the whole smiling thing. Four days later, he was still giggly. Newt had gotten sick and Alby blamed him.

"Dude, I think the real reason the kid's throwing up is because you guys won't stop having eye sex."

Minho laughed. "At least that's all he's seen." He wiggled his eyebrows.

Alby gave his a disgusted look. "God, no. I don't want any images like that in my head. No thank you." Minho winked before he and Thomas left for class, Alby heading back to his dorm, shaking his head. He opened the door as quietly as he could.

"Hey Newt, you still feel like klunk?" He laughed when he only got a pathetic groan in reply. Newt was so covered in blankets that the only way Alby could identify that Newt was under them was a small shimmer of light blonde hair peeking out from one end. "I'll take that as a yes." The boy slowly crawled out of the blankets, giving Alby a look.

"Do I look bloody peachy to you?"

"You look like hell man." Newt continued his glaring. "But that's why I stayed home. Can't have you sitting here alone stewing in vomit and classic rock."

"One does not 'stew' in classic rock." He grumped.

"I'm pretty sure it's possible," Alby shot back. "Anyway, you should probably take some Advil or something."

"Wow you are quite the vessel of knowledge. How lucky am I to have you taking care of me?"

"Hey, I'm doing my best. Unless you want to go to the nurse, I'm your only option."

Newt shivered. "Thanks man." The 'Nurse' in question was really the campus doctor, Caroline. Newt and Dr. Caroline went way back. No more than a year, really, but he hated the woman. He couldn't so much as pass her in the hallway without her stopping to coo at him and ask if he was doing okay, often followed in a suffocating hug that left him fearing she had broken bones with her huge arms. She was rather thick and very busty, and really needed to pluck her eyebrows and after Alby had carried him there a six or so months back to get stitches, she hadn't left him alone. That day had left Alby more shaken than Newt and he didn't particularly want to go back any more than the other boy did. And neither of them wanted to make eye contact with the giant mole that took up a concerning portion of her face.

"That's more like it. Now I'll get you some Advil."

* * *

Minho had been staring so insistently at the back of Thomas's head that he swore he could feel the look burning through his skin. He suppressed a laugh, taking all his efforts to not turn around and make fun of him in front of their whole math class. It was like that for the rest of the period. When the bell rang, he turned around and smacked Minho upside the head.

"What the hell, man?"

"What?!"

"You were staring at me the whole time!"

Minho turned scarlet. "Well at least I didn't smack you on the shuck head!" He snapped.

"Well it was weird."

"Hey, I was just nervous!"

Thomas gave him a confused look. "Why?"

Minho stared, turning redder. "Uhh...I.."

"Come on, you can tell a girl you don't know she has the nicest goddamn ass you've ever seen. Nothing can be worse than that."

"Well, that was different!"

"Different than...?"

"I..uhhh... I have to go. See you at dinner!"

Minho never showed up to dinner.

* * *

"Aaaalllbbbyyyy"

"What?"

"My throat hurrtttss."

"Newt, we've established this. What do you want me to do about it?"

"..."

"Exactly." Newt stared at the other boy pathetically. Alby hated when Newt was sick. Not only was he whiny as fuck, Alby never knew what to do about it. "How bout' some tea?" Newt smiled, nodding enthusiastically. There. He felt pretty goddamn proud of himself. "I'll be back in five minutes."

When he came back, Newt decided that he had never had a worse cup of tea in his life. But he drank it nonetheless, and was sure to thank Alby for it and reassure him that he most definitely did not need another cup.

"Thanks Alby."

"I'm assuming you're not talking about the tea, because I've never made a cup of tea in my life before now and I think it's safe to assume it tasted awful."

"I just mean thanks for putting up with my shit." He replied, laughing.

Alby walked over by Newt, motioning him to move. Newt just stared.

"I'm sick." He stated bluntly, not wanting the other to get too close and risk catching whatever awful thing he had gotten.

"Really?" Sarcasm dripped from his voice. Newt moved over. Alby sat on the edge of his bed for a moment, before laying down next to him on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

"I'll always put up with your shit Newt. Nothing should make you believe otherwise."

"I'm assuming you're not talking about the tea." Alby glanced over, glaring for a moment before cracking a grin.

"You're probably putting up with more by drinking it than I was making it."

"You're probably right." They lay like that for a moment before Newt scooted closer, resting his head on Alby's chest. Alby ran his fingers through the other's hair gently before laying his hand on Newt's back. After a few minutes, Newt started coughing. Alby just held him tighter to his chest as Newt clutched his shirt tightly, thin frame quaking as the fit continued. Once it had passed, the blonde curled up tighter against the other and fell asleep in minutes.

* * *

Newt woke up a few hours later with a really bad headache and confusion as to why he was laying on top of his best friend. Shirtless. Alby was asleep, so he gently shook him awake. When the boy's eyes cracked open lazily, Newt decided he'd been gentle enough and smacked him, not hard enough to hurt, but hard enough to leave a red mark.

"Dude, what the hell?"

Alby glanced up sleepily. "Hey man, you're the one that clung to me like you were dying."

"No, I mean why is my shirt off?"

"You had a fever." He said bluntly.

"Well where is it?"

"Come on Newt, you're gonna make things worse. You can't wear a hoodie. Put on a tank top or something."

"No."

"You don't have to be embarrassed."

Newt blushed scarlet. "Shut up!"

"I'm serious, you're at 103. That's nothing to fuck with. I'm not letting you put on a sweatshirt."

"Fine, then I'll wear long sleeves."

Alby rested a hand gently on his shoulder. "Newt. It's nothing I haven't seen before. Don't make yourself sicker."

Newt sighed. "Fine. Whatever." He lay back down.

After a moment, Alby gently took his hand, aware that he could be crossing a big line with the kid. He pulled the younger boy into a tight hug, fingers gently running up the bony, scarred wrist. "It's okay."

Newt flushed, but said nothing for a moment, only looked away.

"I'll be right back." For a moment, Alby was terrified he'd done something wrong, but when Newt returned wearing the first short sleeved shirt he'd seen the kid wear in over a year, he almost cried from the sheer joy. Instead, his face turned dead serious as he did his best to hide his smile.

"Of course you'd choose your Queen shirt." Newt scowled at him for a moment before they both burst out into giggles.

* * *

Thomas was sure to corner Minho the next morning at breakfast, grabbing his arm.

"Dude, where were you yesterday?"

"Uhhh..."

"What were you so nervous about yesterday?"

"..."

"Just spit it out!"

"Fine, I was gonna ask you out!"

Thomas was shocked, to say the least. "Then why didn't you?"

Now it was Minho's turn to be surprised. "I just didn't know if you were..."

"Into you? Well, as a matter of fact, the answer is yes. To both your questions." Minho beamed.

"Hey sweethearts, how's your morning been?" Newt had, most surprisingly, shown up, along with Alby. Newt looked really tired, but in fairly good spirits. He was wearing a short sleeved shirt (with a Styx logo on it, much to everyone, except Alby's, amusement) and Thomas couldn't remember ever seeing the kid in anything other than a hoodie.

Minho frowned. "What are you, psychic?"

"So it's official now? Yeah, I saw it coming. You are so bloody easy to read, shank."

Minho stuck his tongue out. "Slinthead." As they argued on with Alby throwing in the occasional snarky comment, Thomas couldn't help but smile to himself.

* * *

_Fun fact: Dr. Caroline was based off my past english teacher. She was a whole lot of woman. I swear her mole blinked at me once._

_Thank you for all your kind reviews as always, you guys are too kind! I'll try to get this next chapter out faster_

___A note on how I write Alby: I feel like the reason he was so angry and unhappy all the time in the story was because of the ridiculous loads pressure put on him. I like to believe if put in a more forgiving setting with less stress he'd be a much nicer person. That may not be true, but it's what I chose to do here. I haven't seen anybody comment on it yet, but it's bound to happen eventually, so I thought I'd just say it before that happens._


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